Mohave County miner., 1887-02-12
The Cem.ty Court.

Whatever may be the status of County
Courts in other counties Of this Territory,
We believe that in Mohaye county thi
court stands In high favor with our people
and that there is no desire among those
os our citizens who understand it's work.
ing, and it's adaptation to our wants, for
It's abolition. F
There should certainly be In every
county tribunal before which every citi.
zen may go to demand the enforcement
OF his legal rights, and it is for this, pri.
marily, that he pays his taxes. He pays
for the protection of the law, and this ear
only be afforded him through the medium
OF the courts. In obtaining this protection
the citizen should be subjected to nc
greater delay than public necessity impos.
es.- Our County Court affords a speedy
redress OF grievances. The District Court,
in this county at least, has not done this,
nor can it, by reason Of its organization
and manner OF working. The latter with
but two terms per year, leaving ordinari-
iy an interval Of six months from the time
at which suit is brought before it can
be heard, either ON demurrer or answer,
and which ,on simple demurrer, may be
laid over for Elk months more, and then
on an affidavit for continuance be laid over
again, has had the effect in this
county of making many men, with
just claims, despair Of their successful as.
sertion, and rather bear loss and injury
than attempt to enforce their claims by
an appeal to the court, and one case that
we know of has been put off aud contin-
ued from time TO time until all the parties
and all the witnesses are dead, and still
it stands at issue.
This should not be the Gaze in any por-
ton Of our country; and il our County
Court obviates the difficulty and works no
great evil to the public 1t should be con-
tinued.
The only allegation that We have heard
made by the papers Of the Territory on
this point is that it greatly increases the
expense OF running the county govern
ment. II this be true, TO the extent alleg-
ed in some counties, il Is not 80 with US.
The County Court here, by absorbing the
Probate Court, has cut off the expense OF
that court, and reduced the salary OF our
Judge to about 81 200 per year. When we
consider that by the law establishing this
court, the Probate business passes under
the control Of a person required TO be
learned in law, and ensures a proper dis
position Of its business the salary is Ger
tainly low enough TO satisfy any
political economist. And, apropo'
probate business, on last Wednes.
day the Judge of the County Court called
the cases unfinished On the Probate calen.
dar since 1872; and there were found to
be forty cases which had never been con-
cluded by the discharge Of the administra-
tors or executors, and in many OF which
there is now no possibility OF finding the
parties acting, nor of tracing the disposi-
tion of the property OF the decedents.
The desire that ous County Court should
be continued is not confined toany party,
but its continuance is wished for hy our
heaviest taxpayers, both Democratic and
Republican, whose signatures have been
appended to petition to ibat effect, and
forwarded to the Councilman from this
county for presentation to the present
Legislature.
Ii those who oppose the County Court
do so in good faith, and only for the rea-
son alleged, to-wit: economy, why not let
the court stand and simply make il la court
OF four terms per year? Say, for instance,
that it shall meet for the trial of causes in
the first Mondaysin January, April, July
and November. BY this means no
mans case can he delayed for an unreas-
enable time, and, as the court will be al
ways open to hear and decide questions OF
Law and interiocutory motions, at term
time every case to be tried upon questions
Of fact would be ready for trial and there
would be required only four trial. junes
per year. This would make our County
Court tribunal giving speedy justice,
and would insure this by plan meeting
all the requirements of economy 1t would
be an institution effecting the end desired
with as little expense to the people, as
any that could be invented. .t